Do It for Frodo
by The Enchanted Stream
Summary: The LOTR fandom is at risk from a far greater evil than Sauron... bullying. What would Frodo say? Can everyone's favorite hobbit help save our fandom from evil Flamers and Snarky C2 managers? #NoBullying #DoItForFrodo
1. Chapter 1

**Please see my author's note at the bottom of the story!**

 **Do It For Frodo** :

Frodo sat down thoughtfully, his eyes downcast. "But I don't understand," he said, the self-doubt creeping into his voice. "I thought the Ring was destroyed, Gandalf."

The wizard sat down next to the hobbit and fiddled in his pocket a moment before pulling out his pipe and lighting it. He made a few puffs and then turned thoughtfully to the small figure beside him. "It was Frodo, but I speak of a new threat to this world we live in."

Frodo's eyes widened, and he looked nervously past the stone bench where he and Gandalf sat in the small garden hidden in the upper terraces of Minas Tirith. "What is it?" he asked nervously, well remembering his role in the destruction of the One Ring.

Gandalf puffed on his pipe and blew out a particularly fine smoke ring which wandered past the stone wall and into the dusky horizon. "This new foe may be the undoing of us all, my boy. Our fandom is being corrupted by a new evil…"

"A new evil!" Frodo interrupted and then paused, his fingers absently rubbing his scarred hand. "Is there anything I can do, Gandalf?"

Gandalf inclined his head. The resilience and strength of hobbits would never cease to amaze him. "Actually, there is, Frodo. You can write a letter."

"A letter?" the hobbit asked skeptically.

"Yes," said the wizard. "A letter. You see, dear Frodo, some of the fans of Middle Earth have taken to being quite brutal to one another. They leave flames for reviews instead of kind words or constructive criticism. They make C2 communities that make fun of novice writers' stories or criticize them for being the kind of story they wouldn't read."

Frodo gasped. "Why would they do that? Wouldn't their love for Middle Earth give them some sort of…oh, I don't know, middle ground?"

Gandalf nodded and gazed out toward the red sun on the horizon. "That's why you must write them a letter, my dear boy. Encourage them to be more kind, or I fear this fandom we love may not last much longer…"

Frodo nodded, and the hobbit picked up the beaten leather journal that Aragorn had given him. He untied the front cover and picked up the nubby quill and small pot of ink he had brought out with him to the garden. He had hoped for some alone time, but had set it aside when the wizard joined him.

Frodo pensively chewed on the end of his quill and then he began to write…

 _Dear Fans of Middle Earth,_

 _Please don't be unkind to each other. You all represent so many lands and so many different kinds of people, just sort of like the Fellowship, I should think! And just as the Fellowship had to work together to defeat evil in our land, so you must._

 _I challenge you to be your best. Be positive. Believe in each other. Build each other up with kind words and encouragement. Please don't let this wonderful fandom fall to bitterness and derision._

 _I know you can do it. I believe in you. If just a hobbit like me can help make a difference in my world, then so can you. To quote Gandalf (and he's very wise!), "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future." Won't you choose to be that person?_

 _Change the future—you all can do it with kindness and by choosing to be positive and uplifting._

 _Love,_

 _Frodo_

After Frodo finished his letter, he looked up at Gandalf who still stared hopefully at the horizon. "Do you think it will be enough, Gandalf?"

But Gandalf only crookedly smiled and blew a smoke ring that lifted over the trees and into the cloudless sky.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

I've never written and posted anything before this. I've always been too shy or too nervous. That feeling changed after I saw a C2 that listed a huge number of stories by young authors as being poorly written. I'm just tired of being a bystander.

This little story is about bullying. **Please Post a review to this story if you would like to end bullying in our fandom. You don't have to write anything in the review except to say: #DoItForFrodo  
**

Like Sam, I believe "There's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo…and it's worth fighting for."

Will you help me fight for it?

* * *

Please also check out Tolkien Scribe's story, "Scrolls of Imladris" which she wrote in support of #DoItForFrodo! Erestor gives some much needed wisdom on how to give feedback and criticism. Loved its positive message!


	2. Chapter 2

A few days later, Frodo found Gandalf amid the dusty tomes in the back of the much neglected archives. "Gandalf?" he asked, peeking around the corner.

The old wizard straightened in his pointy hat so quickly that he knocked several ancient scrolls to the ground. His face softened when he saw which particular hobbit had startled him. "Why Frodo!" he exclaimed kindly. "What brings you here?"

Frodo glanced toward the door, the beginnings of a shy smile on his face. "Can I ask you something, Gandalf? If it won't take too long?"

"Why, of course," said the wizard. He sat the manuscripts back down on the shelf and tried to lean over to be eye level with the hobbit. Then Gandalf shook his head and stiffly dropped to one knee, leaning on his staff as he did so. "I think it might rain tonight," he said and his eyes merry. "Now, what did you want to tell me?"

"Well," said the hobbit and scuffed his toe on the hard stone floor, "After I wrote that letter encouraging kindness in our fandom, I kept thinking about what you said. About how people should be kind to each other, even though they're from different places or maybe even write different kinds of stories."

"Yes, that's true," intoned the wizard. "The people in our fandom hail from many distant lands."

"So after I thought about it a bit, and it all made me a little sad, I went down to the tavern with Merry and Pippin, and Gimli and Legolas," Frodo brightened at the mention of his friends' names, and he remembered the fun they'd had that night, drinking and laughing. "And that's when I realized how we could really solve this problem!"

"Oh?" asked the wizard, peering curiously at the hobbit before him.

"The fandom needs more than just a letter," he declared, his eyes lighting up. "They need a fellowship—a fellowship who can stick together when the journey is difficult, a fellowship who can make you smile, even when you want to cry…" Frodo paused and met Gandalf's eyes. "They shouldn't ever have to feel alone."

Gandalf nodded solemnly and stood up, and it seemed for a second to Frodo that the old wizard might have dabbed at his eyes with his sleeve, but he couldn't be sure from where he stood.

"It's the dust in the room," explained Gandalf, and he blotted one more time at the corner of his eye.

The corners of Frodo's mouth curved into a grin. "It is _very_ dusty," he agreed and then he offered his friend his hand. "How about we go find some fresh air?"

The old wizard took the hobbit's hand, his much larger one engulfing it. "A stroll would suit me just fine."

Together the pair quit the archives, and to many, they might have seemed a funny sight. One was so small, and still a little too thin, and the other, with his curious hat and walking stick seemed almost grandfatherly. Frodo and Gandalf took the winding turn up the city streets, and a little while later, Gimli and Legolas joined them, having just returned from some target practice and friendly wagering. Now there were four, all different shapes and sizes, from the fairly young to the almost ancient, although Legolas would argue that he never looked a day past nine hundred years old. As they passed the sixth gate, Merry and Pippin bounded up from their latest quest to find an acceptable blend of pipe tobacco. Apparently they had sampled the shop's wares quite extensively and chortled together after linking arms with Frodo. Together, what a sight the six odd figures made! They were all talking at once, and laughing, with Gimli stroking his beard thoughtfully as he pretended to feign disapproval at the elf's latest joke.

Finally the group reached the seventh gate and came upon the stone courtyard with its white tree, still laden with blossoms in early summer. A man stood by the tree, with one foot resting up on the wide stone border around its bed; beside him a much smaller figure leaned over, picked up a handful of dirt and then showed it to his companion. It was, of course, King Elessar and Sam, the last two remaining members of the Fellowship.

"Mr. Frodo!" Sam cried, dirt samples forgotten at once. "I see you found Gandalf. Did you tell him your idea?"

Gandalf now smiled broadly, as he thought of what Frodo said earlier in the archives. He only had to look at the assortment of people around him to know the value of the hobbit's words.

"Yes, Sam," answered the wizard, his eyes twinkling. "A fellowship! How very wise indeed. The power of friendship is not to be underestimated."

Behind Gandalf, Pippin whispered, "It was my idea too…"

Merry rolled his eyes. "Hush, Pippin!"

The End.

* * *

 _Author's note: Frodo is right. A fellowship is just what our fandom needs. We created a new Forum for friendships to grow and flourish and for kindness and appreciation to be shared. The Name of the New Forum is 'Writer's Guild" and we hope that you all will visit!_

 _ **Credit to Mirkwood Warrior for creating and doing ALL the heavy lifting for putting the forum together! Thank you!** _

_If you're not sure how to find the forum, you can click the search bar at the top of the website and change the search from 'Story' to 'Forum.' Then type in 'Writer's Guild' and search! Coincidentally, there are a couple of forums called Writer's Guild, so look for the one with a brown book avatar that says Writer's Guild in white cursive letters._

 _#DoItForFrodo_


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